International Arrivals At MCO Off 13 Percent

Thirteen percent fewer international passengers passed through the gates of Orlando International Airport for the first half of 2006... and travel industry analysts say airport security is to blame.

"As a whole, government has not decided we are better off by bringing more travelers into the country," said Geoff Freeman, executive director of the Discover America Partnership, to the Southwest Florida Herald Tribune.

That's despite the widely-publicized effort by the US government, dubbed "Secure Borders and Open Doors," designed to improve access for foreign visitors. Critics say the program hasn't made airport screening any friendlier for international passengers... and wait times for visas are as long as ever.

To improve the program's outreach, the Discover America Partnership has hired former Homeland Security secretary Tom Ridge as a consultant. With his help, the partnership will submit a list of recommendations at an industry meeting at the end of the month.

From the sound of it... help can't come soon enough.

"You come to Washington, and it's like 9/11 was yesterday," said German tourist Wieland Ludwig, who brought his wife and mother to Florida for Christmas and New Years. The Ludwig's entered the country through Washington-Dulles -- one of two airports intended to be a "model port of entry" under the Open Doors program -- and were held up over two hours in security. Consequently, they missed their flight to Tampa.

To be fair, Dulles is in the middle of an extensive renovation, including the international arrivals area.

Despite stories like Ludwig's, US law enforcement agencies say they refuse to compromise their mission to impart some warm-fuzzies, and help the tourism industry rake in extra dollars.

"We are a law enforcement agency. We're enforcing 490 different laws," said Customs and Border Protection spokeswoman Kelly Klundt.

US Department of Commerce figures show overseas arrivals declined by one percent nationwide during the first half of 2006, to 16.1 million.

FMI: www.dhs.gov, www.poweroftravel.org/